Midnight Carols
by Hathor
Summary: After a bad day, Josh and Donna have a moment. (Xmas fic)


Author: TheGeekGirl  
Feedback: Yes please - joshbunny@btopenworld.com  
Disclaimer: Sadly, these aren't mine :)  
Rating: PG if that - I guess.  
Category: J/D, and a little bit from the rest of the ensemble  
Summary: After a bad day, J and D have a moment  
Spoilers: Two Cathedrals.  
Archiving: Just drop me an email first.  
Notes: This is my first attempt at any type of fanfic so please be gentle with me. Anyway, its coming up to Christmas and it just brings out the sap in me :) Also, I haven't seen any of the S3 episodes yet so there will be slight discrepancies between what is written here and what happens between Two Cathedrals and the S3 Christmas episode.   


~*~*~*~ Midnight Carols ~*~*~*~   


Sam stood in the doorway for a few moments, waiting for Josh to look up from his one-fingered typing.   


"I know you're there Sam." The Deputy Chief of Staff's forehead creased in a frown as he hit the backspace key with slightly more force than was necessary.   


"Don't you have an assistant to do that for you?" Sam asked in a neutral tone as he entered the room and flopped down into a spare chair while admiring the ordered chaos that was Josh's office.   


"I did. But then she went to join the others downstairs."   


"Oh that's ok then. Because I have one too and she's very good. However I hear it helps if you are nice to them rather than....."   


"Sam!" Josh snapped at him, finally looking up from his computer. Sam looked across at him, noting the tiredness evident in his friend's face. Josh forestalled him with a raised hand that was partly an apology for his tone. "I can't go - I have to finish this," he said gesturing vaguely at the computer, which was presently doing its best impression of being an Enigma machine. No matter what he pressed something different appeared on the screen.   


"It's Christmas Eve, Josh," Sam said softly. "I am sure it can wait."   


"You know I really don't like parties, Sam. Especially after a day like today." Josh scrubbed a hand over his face and then through his hair. He and Donna had been sniping at each other all day. Her Christmas cheer had grated on him, so much so that he had bitten her head off for humming carols outside in the bullpen. For the rest of the day he had received a distinctly cold shoulder from his assistant. It had just gone downhill from there, with Donna giving him a curt "goodbye" dead on six o'clock, leaving him to finish the report alone.   
Not that he could blame her really. It wasn't that he hated Christmas especially, it was just that it was so family orientated and it was a painful remainder. Also if he was being perfectly honest, he had been feeling lonely of late. The holiday period was just magnifying the feeling. Toby and Sam had made plans for Christmas Day this year and so had cancelled on their usual drinking and TV watching session around at Toby's. So Josh was faced with a Christmas Day spent eating a bag of chips and watching re-runs of "It's a Wonderful Life". He cringed internally at the thought.   


"Come on Josh. You really don't want Donna to spend her Christmas being pissed at you, do you ?"   


Josh scratched the back of his neck. Sam had a point. Humming Christmas carols wasn't exactly the crime of the century. So nodding resignedly, he stood and grabbed his wrinkled jacket from the back of his chair. Sam just smiled and the two of them headed out of the office.   


"You know that you can be a real jerk sometimes Josh ?"   


"Shut up Sam."   


*****************************************   


The two men entered the room and stood for a moment, strains of "Mary's Boy Child" reaching them. It wasn't a large gathering, mainly just friends and colleagues of the Senior Staff. A magnificent tree, traditionally decorated in gold and red, dominated the far end by the bay windows. A group of carol singers stood next to it. Abbey Bartlett made her way through small groups of people to greet the two.   


"I see you finally dragged him away, Sam," she said smiling.   


"Yes ma'am," he replied. He looked up to see CJ and Mallory with their heads together smiling at him. "Excuse me, ma'am." Abbey followed his gaze, smiled and motioned for him to go and re-join the two women he had been chatting to earlier. Josh moved nervously as he realised that he was alone with the First Lady. Abbey smiled up at him, and linked her arm steering him expertly towards the drinks table.   


"What am I going to do with you, Josh ?" The First Lady said as she handed him a glass of eggnog. Josh really wasn't in the mood for drinking but politely took a sip of the offered drink. He gave her a half-hearted smirk.   


"I don't know, ma'am, but I do have to point out that I am slightly afraid of your husband. I hear he's a powerful man and..."   


Abbey rolled her eyes, bringing his poor attempt at humour to a stop and he shrugged slightly in way of apology.   


"I just dedicated to my work" he said rather lamely, thinking that she was still talking about his late appearance at the party. She clicked her tongue in annoyance.   


"I wasn't talking about your work Josh."   


"Oh."   


He followed her gaze to where Donna stood with Margaret, both of them listening to the choir next to the Christmas tree.   


"She is a good girl, Joshua, and probably the best thing you have in your life right now. So why you keep trying to self-destruct it, I don't know."   
Josh gave the First Lady a startled glance, he knew that she was not one to mince words but she had definitely surprised him. Abbey gestured to where her husband stood, in a pose that probably meant he was regaling his audience with some little know facts about roasted chestnuts. Unfortunately, his audience of Toby and Leo looked like they were trying to find the nearest escape hatch. Abbey smiled fondly as she watched her husband and then back at Josh.   


"I don't try to..." Josh began.   


"You of all people should know how quickly things can be taken away from us." Her tone was slightly melancholy as he nodded slowly recognising her reference not only to his close call earlier on in the year but also to Jed's condition and the most keenly felt absence of Mrs Langingham. She smiled suddenly, her melancholy evaporating and patted his arm.   
"You should go apologise to her, Josh." He raised an eyebrow in disbelief. Did everyone know the ins and outs of what went on daily with him and Donna ? Abbey laughed at his expression and reached up to kiss him on the cheek. "Happy Christmas !" she said and then abandoned him to go and rescue Leo and Toby. Josh looked at the glass of eggnog in his hand and then in one quick draft, knocked it all back. He placed the empty glass back on the table as Sam, CJ and Mallory cornered him.   


"You're in trouble again." Mallory wasn't asking a question, it was a statement.   


"It appears that way," Josh replied slightly mournfully.   


CJ crossed her arms, "Well if you hadn't of bitten her head off...."   


"God, does everyone know what goes on on a daily basis between myself and my staff?" Josh exclaimed.   


"Yes." replied Sam, rather enjoying Josh's discomfort. "Especially when it's between you and Donna and especially when so many people have so much at stake."   
CJ suddenly stepped forward to get a glass of eggnog, landing a heel on Sam's foot. "OW ! CJ ! What was..." he trailed off.   


Josh blinked and then frowned. "What's going on ?" he demanded. CJ and Sam said nothing suddenly interested in the drinks table and the floor respectively. "What's at stake ? CJ ?"   


The Press Secretary met his demanding gaze for a moment before giving in. "Around $1250 I think. Isn't that right, Sam ?"   


"$1280 now. Sarah came in on it."   


"You're running a book ?" Josh asked.   


"Well not me, personally..." Sam replied defensively, spreading his hands.   


"You're running a book ?" he repeated. "What are you running it on ?" Then the realisation dawned. "Oh my god ! You're running a book on me and Donna ?" Josh said incredulously and rather loudly, causing a couple of nearby staffers to turn and look at him strangely. Sam nodded and CJ had the good grace to look somewhat sheepish but Josh suspected that it was feigned. Mallory just laughed. He ran a hand through his hair. "Oh dear god," he whispered.   


Josh was saved from further humiliation as the President's voice sounded across the room. "Gather around people," he called. As he made his way over towards Barlett, his first thought was how mortified Donna would be when she found out. His second, hot on the heels of his first, was slightly more reflective about what exactly the pool was betting about. He suddenly felt warm in his suit and shrugged out of his creased jacket and dumped it on a nearby chair and then rolled his sleeves up.   


Still somewhat distracted, he automatically nodded in greeting as he came to stand next to Leo and Toby. Donna stood only a few paces away and glanced over at his direction but looked away the moment she realised he had seen her. Josh sighed.   


"Thank you all for being here, friends and family alike," the President began. Abbey stepped up next to her husband and his arm encircled her waist. "We would like to thank you all, for what has been a difficult and trying year for all of us." The President's gaze settled for a moment on Josh and then on Charlie, before continuing around the room. "There are those that did not make it through with us…" A hushed silence fell on those gathered there. Even after the intervening months it was still painfully to think about. "….but still we remember them and celebrate as they would have wanted us to." The President continued for a few more minutes, thanking them for their hard work and reassuring them that although the coming year would be difficult, they would get through it together. However Josh's attention had left the Leader of the Free World and had returned back to Donna. She was listening to President Barlett intently, nodding on occasion in response to what he saying. At the mention of Mrs Langingham, he saw her hand reach for Margaret's. Josh suddenly had an overwhelming urge for it to be his hand she had sought.

"….and I would like to welcome the Saint Mary's choir, who are going to sing us through until midnight." There was polite applause as the President and the First Lady stepped away and came to stand next to Leo and Sam to listen to the wonderful music. The choir was bewitching, their gentle singing lulling the listeners. Abbey rested her head on Jed's chest, but not before looking pointedly at Josh as he glanced over and then gesturing discretely to Donna. Josh blinked and then looked at the floor before taking a ragged breath. Jed caught the movement and whispered in his wife's ear "And just what are you up to, Abbey ?" She said nothing but patted his hand reassuringly.   


The choir had launched into a rendition of "Good King Wenceslas" by the time Josh had summoned up the courage to talk to Donna. Margaret saw his approach and gracefully stepped a short distance away to give them so privacy. Josh slowly moved until he was behind Donna, the two of them close but not touching. He had said nothing but she already knew he was there.   
"Was there something you wanted, Josh ?" she said softly, not wanting to disturb the enjoyment of the singing for others, but her tone was still barbed. He blinked in surprise and moved slightly closer still, his voice as soft as hers had been. 

"I just wanted…", he trailed off slightly before starting again. "About earlier…"   


"Forget it Josh. I'm fine." She sounded tired.   


Tentatively he reached out a hand and touched her back softly. She flinched at the contact and Josh felt something inside him suddenly shatter into a thousand pieces. The two of them had always been tactile and yet now even his touch caused her pain.   


"Donna, please…" The pain in his voice was evident and it was enough to make her look over her shoulder at him. Their gazes locked. She waited for him to speak again but Josh's power of speech had forsaken him. Sighing, she turned back around to try at least concentrate on the beautiful sound of the choir, rather than on Josh's presence behind her.   


The haunting tune of Silent Night echoed around the room, when Josh finally came to a decision. Gently, yet resolutely, he stepped up behind her and wrapped a strong arm around her waist. She jumped at his touch, at the sudden warmth of him behind her. Then his mouth was next to her ear. "Forgive me, Donnatella," he breathed. She hardly heard the words, but she felt his mouth move against her face. She closed her eyes, wondering what kind of fool she was to let him get under her skin so much.   


Josh was petrified, she had yet to say or do anything. Her presence filled his his senses. Her hair, as soft as eiderdown, gently tickled his cheek. For a few more heartbeats she did nothing and then he felt the tension drain out of her body. Slowly she leaned back against him, his arm tightening around her waist in response, drawing them even closer. The choir continued to sing as she laid her head on his shoulder. He appeared to watch the choir but his attention was purely on the woman leaning against him.   


Abbey watched the exchange and smiled triumphantly and snuggled under her husband's arm. He rested his head on her chin and smiled at the couple in front of him before turning his attention back to the choir. On the other hand, CJ batted Toby's chest, to get his attention. He looked down at her with a slight question in his eyes and she nodded over to Josh and Donna. Toby smiled ever so slightly and reached down to entangle his fingers with CJ's before they turned back to look out of the large bay windows into the dark Christmas night, the soulful music climbing around them.   


Josh had to fight the urge to bury his face Donna's soft hair. He too closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, taking in a scent that was part vanilla and part pure Donna Moss. She smiled slightly although he could not see it, and lifted a delicate hand up to gentle touch his bare arm in reassurance that she had indeed forgiven him.   


The choir launched into their last piece "Adeste Fidelis" to herald in Christmas Day. The timing was almost to perfection as the timorous chimes of a grandfather clock in the corner of the room sounded out during the last verse.   


"Happy Christmas, Josh," Donna whispered, tilting her head slightly to the side, her eyes opening at last. 

Josh bent his head slightly, to place a hidden, gentle kiss on her neck. He felt the shudder that went through her as it echoed his own. "Happy Christmas, Donnatella…" he whispered. 

***************************************** 

The End....probably.....


End file.
